The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

482 The Highland Monthly.
were giving an account of their brother's arrest. Although
she had never met these men, who dwelt in a remote and
inaccessible part of the parish, she was quite familiar with
their history, and had heard from the postilion, Riding
Dan, who occasionally passed the house, that Torquil
awaited his trial for sheep stealing. She now heard the
name of Mark Teviot mentioned in terms of mortal hatred.
From the sounds that reached her, she knew that the
quartet were indulging in deep potations. By and bye, the
conversation turned upon Teith Muir Tryst, and one of the
Macilvaines, with a brutal laugh, swore that Mark Teviot
would go home with a light purse and broken skin, whereupon
his companions joined in his hideous merriment.
The Macilvaines left early next morning, and she took care
that neither her master nor her mistress should suspect
that she recognised them, far less that she had overheard
their threats of revenge against Glenbeltane, whom her
aunt, Spinning Ishbal, had taught her to regard with grate-
ful feelings of respect. Indeed, she herself had often spent
a few days at Glenbeltane, to help during the busy time of
clipping or harvesting ; and she determined that no evil
should befal Mark Teviot which she might be able to avert.
Without delay, she wrote a letter to her father, which
Riding Dan undertook to deliver with his own hand ; and
it was in consequence of the information which this billet
contained, that Black Macindrui met Glenbeltane secretly
at the Gallows Ford, and gave him timely warning of the
threatened danger. Some days before the Teith Muir
Tryst the Macilvaines again spent a night at Logroy, but,
strangely enough, although proceeding south, they had no
herd of cattle in charge then. The house was thronged with
drovers, and her master and mistress had no opportunity of
having any private conversation with the Macilvaines on.
this occasion. The evening after the tryst they again
returned to Logroy, and, much to her relief, she learned
that they had failed in carrying out their evil designsagainst
Mark Teviot. Having ascertained that he and